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Match Report
Portsmouth v Middlesbrough 01 February 2005
Boro crash on South Coast
Portsmouth 2 - 1 Middlesbrough
Portsmouth claimed their first win of 2005 as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough.
Malcolm Christie had silenced Fratton Park with his first goal for over a year after he fired home.
However, the lead was short-lived as Matt Taylor fired home after a severe misjudgement from Mark Schwarzer.
Pompey were comfortably on top when they took the lead through Yakubu Aiyegbeni on the hour as he scrambled the ball over the line. Boro pressed in the final moments, but their dismal run of form this year continued.
The game was pedestrian at best early on, with neither side looking to impose themselves on proceedings.
Pompey had the opening salvos with Patrik Berger and Yakubu both testing Schwarzer.
Boro's first effort came thanks to Stewart Downing who beat Linvoy Primus down the right before crossing into the six-yard box and only an excellent clearance from Arjan De Zeeuw prevented a great chance. Yakubu then missed a wonderful chance to put Pompey ahead as he raced onto a long clearance from Konstantinos Chalkias and out-muscled the Boro defence, but he could only toe-poke his effort wide of the post.
There was further bad news for Steve McClaren on the injury front on the half hour as veteran Colin Cooper limped off with a knee problem. Dejan Stefanovic then produced a great last-ditch tackle to prevent Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink from racing clear, but nobody in the Pompey defence could do anything to prevent Boro taking the lead moments later.
Boudewijn Zenden's quick free kick found Ray Parlour, he took the ball past Aliou Cisse before unleashing an effort at goal - Chalkias failed to hold the shot and Christie raced in to score his first goal in 17 months.
Despite going behind Pompey were not deflated and kept up the pressure with Aiyegbeni at the heart of everything and he had penalty claims turned down not long after when he tangled with Michael Reiziger in the area.
Boro looked as if they could hold on until the interval, but it was not to be as Schwarzer produced a calamitous error to help Pompey level. Taylor broke down the left and fired a cross which was heading well wide - but Schwarzer inexplicably kept the ball in and it fell for Fuller who in-turn fed the full back to Taylor - who had now broken into the area - and he fired into the roof of the net with his right foot.
Pompey began the second half very brightly with again Aiyegbeni the fulcrum of the home side's positivity. The Nigerian created a great chance as he back heeled the ball into the path of Berger, but he fired into the side netting from 12 yards.
Boro then produced their best move of the game as Christie played a nice one-two with Hasselbaink and raced clear on goal, but he could only fire at Chalkias with an unmarked James Morrison screaming for the ball on the right.
Pompey continued their bright attacking play and Aiyegbeni combined well with Taylor, but this time Schwarzer managed to palm his effort wide.
A second for the home side looked inevitable and it arrived just before the hour. Great build up play from Ricardo Fuller saw him jink his way past three Boro defenders and pull the ball back across the six-yard box for Aiyegbeni to grab the goal his play thoroughly deserved.
Thereafter Boro's heads dropped and they lacked any sort of determination to get themselves back into the game - which had marked Pompey's earlier comeback.
Pompey coach Velimir Zajec then introduced midfielder Giannis Skopeletis for his debut - but that was at the expense of Ricardo Fuller and as a result Boro were now able to get a hold of the ball and come back into the game.
Boro did press for the last ten minutes, but like the vast majority of their play for the evening - they were ineffective as Pompey sat back and soaked up the pressure with relative ease.
McClaren will be left fuming with his side who threw away a hard fought lead and then showed a lack of spirit which made Pompey's comeback somewhat easier - although you could take nothing from Portsmouth who thoroughly deserved all three points.
Report from Sky Sports
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